Closing Bell, May 31, 2002

CELEBRITY READING OF GEHRIG SPEECH TO MARK MLB A.L.S. DAY

MLB has recruited fourteen celebrities to recite Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech in fourteen different ballparks on Saturday as part of the league’s Project A.L.S. Day. The speech originally was given by Gehrig on July 4, 1939, when his illness forced him to leave the game (THE DAILY).

MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan appeared on NBC's "Today" show this morning to promote the event and said, “(Project A.L.S.) approached us with their story and got to Commissioner Selig in a meeting. We’re a part of the community, and this is a disease that afflicts people in the community [and] afflicts people on our baseball teams. So, once the germ of the idea got started, with Lou Gehrig’s speech being such an iconic event for baseball, it was a very good, natural fit to undertake the effort” (NBC, 5/31).

LOCAL EFFORT TO PURCHASE SABRES PICKS UP SPEED

The BUFFALO NEWS cites several sources as saying that "local maneuvering to pull together an investors group" to try to buy the Sabres has "picked up speed in the last week as Adelphia Communications Corp. and the Rigas family have fallen deeper into their financial tailspin." Speculation about a local ownership group for the team "centers on a small group of local business executives," including Mark Hamister and Robert Rich Jr. Rich was part of the previous Sabres ownership group, and Hamister owns the AFL Buffalo Destroyers team that plays in HSBC Arena (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/31).

Despite Adelphia’s recent financial woes, “life remains as normal as is possible” for Sabres and Empire Sports Network employees. No Adelphia staffers “have been pink-slipped,” and payday “was expected to take place today as scheduled” (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/31).

MATT KENSETH BURNS UP MOBILE PHONE LINES FOR FANS

PTN Media announced today it has entered an agreement with NASCAR’s Matt Kenseth to develop branded mobile phones, face plates and subscription services including Kenseth news and games delivered to mobile phones. Subscribers will be able to receive daily messages from Kenseth on subjects such as qualifying, race results and fan club information. Additionally, subscribers will be able to use their phones to receive special communications prior to a race or personal appearance (THE DAILY).

PLAYOFF ROUND-UPS: NETS MERCHANDISE, RED WINGS SCALPERS

The Bergen RECORD reports that sales of Nets merchandise “have taken off,” even after “attracting cobwebs on sporting-goods shelves” during the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. The team is now in the top ten for merchandise sales. NBA Senior VP/Global Merchandise Sal LaRocca: “What the Nets have done in the last two months is probably the fastest ascent I can remember from bottom tier to top tier. Usually that kind of progress takes a season or two” (Bergen RECORD, 5/31).

In Detroit, area ticket brokers “would not speak on the record” regarding Internet scaplers asking for as much as $1,100 for tickets to tonight’s Avalanche-Red Wings Western Conference Finals Game Seven, but a scan of several Internet brokerage sites “provides shocking numbers.” Primeseat.com had seats in section 107, row 2 for $1,105 each. Bigtimeworldwide.com was offering two tickets in Section 221 for $656.25 apiece, and ticketsolutions.com “was selling lower-level seats for $1,100 each and upper-level seats behind the goal for $325” (DETROIT NEWS, 5/31).

BUZZER BEATERS

The Bills have signed a multi-year contract with Paciolan to introduce Internet ticket sales to their fans. Starting July 13, fans will be able to log-on to www.buffalobills.com and purchase the same best-available seats sold through the Bills’ other distribution channels (THE DAILY).

Investment management firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) released a report on the FIFA World Cup and its impact on the real estate markets of World Cup host nations South Korea and Japan. JLL Senior VP Melinda McKay said the study indicated that the event “will have little or no statistically significant macroeconomic impact on the host nations’ GDP.” The study can be viewed at www.joneslanglasalle.com (THE DAILY).

The SACRAMENTO BEE reports that the WNBA Monarchs for the first time has sold out all 17,317 seats at Arco Arena for Saturday’s season opener against the Lynx (SACRAMENTO BEE, 5/31).

WEEKEND EVENTS

The Dolphins will kick-off their annual fishing tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at the Miami Beach Marina with a 7:30pm ET party. The fishing tournament itself will begin Saturday at 8:00am ET. Meanwhile, Dolphins WR Jeff Ogden will host a fundraiser in Ft. Lauderdale for his Catch-A-Star Foundation to benefit child adoption (THE DAILY).

The first 1,500 fans to arrive for the Int’l League Triple A Charlotte Knights 7:15pm ET game versus the Syracuse Sky Chiefs will receive a Tommy John bobble-arm doll (THE DAILY).

Miller Brewing Company will host “The 14^th Annual CART Reunion of Athletic Incompetence” at Blue Mound Bowl in Brookfield, WI at 7:00pm CT. The charitable event will be taped for broadcast later that night on SpeedChannel’s CART Friday Night with host Derek Daly (THE DAILY).

Thrashers F Jeff Odgers will serve as Grand Marshall for the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics GA ’02 State Summer Games at Emory Univ. from 8:00-9:00pm ET (THE DAILY).

Saturday

Tigers’ broadcaster Ernie Harwell will be honored with the Canadian Baseball HOF & Museum’s Jack Graney Award on the field before the Tigers-Blue Jays game at 7:05pm ET. The award is presented to a member of the media whose life’s work has made a significant contribution to the game (THE DAILY).

The WUSA Washington Freedom will present a check to the Children's National Medical Center for $18,600, raised over the past year through various fundraising events. Every member of the Freedom visited patients at Children's Hospital at least once in ’01 (THE DAILY).

Bills and CFL Toronto Argonauts players will host a free youth clinic at the Univ. of Toronto, Erindale Campus, from 1:00-3:00pm ET (THE DAILY).

NFL HOFer Joe Montana will perform a cutting demonstration at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento (THE DAILY).

Celtics legend Bill Russell will receive an honorary degree from Univ. of MA-Boston (THE DAILY).

Sunday

The Marlins Community Foundation and the Marlins Wives with host the sixth annual Bank of America Dinner on the Diamond following the 4:05pm ET Marlins-Mets game. Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria and President David Samson are among those expected to be in attendance (THE DAILY).

The WNBA and Maverick Records pop star Michelle Branch will present a free, live concert on top of the MSG marquee at 11:00am ET to celebrate the Liberty’s home opener against the Sol at 12:00pm ET (THE DAILY).

Splash TV, the first Nickelodeon GAS original series will premiere at 3:30pm ET. The show, a series about swimming and water sports, was jointly produced by Nickelodeon GAS: Games and Sports for Kids and USA Swimming (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS…..

AT&T Corp. today said that it “plans a stock offering next week” to raise $2.25B and will “use the proceeds to satisfy a portion of its obligation to buy the 69 percent of AT&T Canada it does not already own” (REUTERS, 5/31).

'N Sync member Lance Bass said today that he "had won a preliminary go-ahead from Russian doctors to become the first pop star in space and the youngest spaceman ever" (REUTERS, 5/31).

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “SUM OF ALL FEARS” & “UNDERCOVER BROTHER”

Who would’ve thought that Eddie Griffiin’s broad comedy “Undercover Brother” would receive more positive reviews than Ben Affleck’s Jack Ryan thriller “The Sum Of All Fears”? That’s why they play the games, folks. Read a sampling of critical reviewsHartnett Hartnett wages a war against celibacy:

CHANNEL SURFING

FRIDAY

ESPN will air NHL Conference Finals Game 7, Avalanche-Red Wings, at 7:00pm ET.

NBC will air NBA Conference Finals: Nets-Celtics at 7:00pm ET and Kings-Lakers at 9:30pm ET.

ABC will air the “‘02 World Stunt Awards” at 8:00pm ET.

SATURDAY

ESPN2 will air World Cup soccer, Uruguay-Denmark, at 4:55am ET.

ESPN will air World Cup soccer, Germany-Saudi Arabia, at 7:25am ET.

ABC will air World Cup soccer, Cameroon-Ireland, at 3:30pm ET.

Fox will air regional MLB coverage at 1:00pm ET: Red Sox-Yankees, White Sox-Indians or Braves-Reds.

FX will air the BGN MBNA Platinum 200 at 1:00pm ET.

CBS will air the PGA Tour Kemper Insurance Open at 3:00pm ET.

ESPN will air the WNBA, Sparks-Sting, at 8:00pm ET.

SUNDAY

ESPN2 will air World Cup soccer, Argentina-Nigeria, at 1:25am ET.

ESPN will air World Cup soccer: Paraguay-South Africa at 3:25am ET and Spain-Slovenia at 7:25am ET.

John Saunders, Mike Lupica, Bob Ryan and Jason Whitlock will appear on ESPN’s “Sports Reporters.”

ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” will feature a reports by Jeremy Schaap examining why people are so fascinated with Mike Tyson, and how much of what the boxer does is genuine or simply an act to help promote his next fight.

FX will air the WC MBNA Platinum 400 at 1:00pm ET.

CBS will air the final round of the PGA Tour Kemper Insurance Open at 3:00pm ET.

ABC will air World Cup soccer, England-Sweden, at 3:30pm ET.

If necessary, NBC will air NBA Conference Finals, Celtics-Nets at 5:30pm ET and Lakers-Kings at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” will feature Rockies-Giants at 8:00pm ET.

CBS will air “The 56^th Annual Tony Awards” at 9:00pm ET.

ABC will air “The Hamptons,” part 1 of 2, at 9:00pm ET.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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